Date of Award

5-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College/School

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department/Program

Psychology

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Ruth E. Propper

Committee Member

Joshua Sandry

Committee Member

John Paul Wilson

Abstract

A set of cognitive biases that have been associated with functional asymmetry of the brain’s hemispheres are framing effects. The attribute framing effect is when valenced descriptive messages – “frames” – influence judgements towards the topic of the message consistent with the valence of the frame. Evidence suggests that information processing in the right hemisphere contributes to framing effects. Double Filtering by Frequency (DFF) theory asserts that the hemispheres are biased to process sensory information based upon relative frequencies, with the right hemisphere dominantly responding to stimuli containing relatively lower frequencies. Previous work links differential processing by the right hemisphere, through exposure to relatively lower frequency stimuli, as a method of strengthening framing effects. Specifically, a method in which the lower range of audio frequencies in the voice of a spoken message are selectively amplified relative to the higher frequencies, has been shown to increase the effect of attribute framing. The present study aimed to extend this research on the attribute framing effect through the usage of selective auditory frequency amplification (SAFA). Utilizing a task- irrelevant mode of presenting the auditory stimulus, it was hypothesized that music containing a selectively amplified relatively lower range of frequencies would activate the right hemisphere relative to the left. Because the right hemisphere may be more responsive to effects of framing, presentation of relatively lower frequencies was expected to enhance the framing effect via right hemisphere activation. The current work does not find support for the usage of task-irrelevant SAFA to increase the effect of attribute framing. Potential reasons for the findings are discussed.

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